While the WWE landscape witnessed the dominance of Roman Reigns, his sporadic appearances and part-time status created a void where Rollins stepped up admirably. Reigns’ undeniable prowess notwithstanding, his absence from consistent in-ring action meant Rollins became the beacon of reliability and excellence in the WWE.

Rollins’ commitment to being a constant presence, defending titles against a multitude of formidable opponents including Logan Paul, Nakamura, Drew McIntyre, AJ Styles, Jey Uso, Sami Zayn, Damian Priest, Finn Balor, The Miz, Dominick Mysterio, and Austin Theory, showcased not only his remarkable in-ring skill but also his commitment to the WWE Universe.

What truly sets Rollins apart is his ability to infuse significance into championships. As Reigns’ part-time schedule left certain titles on the sidelines, Rollins stepped into the spotlight, elevating each championship defense to a must-see event. His dedication to his craft, storytelling prowess, and match-stealing performances solidified his position as the cornerstone of WWE’s in-ring action.

While Reigns undoubtedly left an indelible mark, Rollins’ consistent presence and relentless pursuit of excellence in every aspect of his performances — from his magnetic charisma to his unparalleled ring skills — made him the undisputed hero of the year. As the WWE landscape witnessed various narratives and battles, Rollins stood tall as the embodiment of what it truly means to be a dedicated, full-time champion, shouldering the responsibilities and delivering spectacular moments that defined the essence of sports entertainment.

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Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling makes its long-awaited return to New Orleans for 2-nights of high-energy live pro wrestling: February 23-24, 2024, at the Alario Center.
 
The Friday night show, NO SURRENDER, will stream live on IMPACT + and YouTube for IMPACT Ultimate Insiders. The Saturday night show, BAYOU BLAST, will be taped for the company’s flagship weekly TV show, iMPACT! (Thursday, 8 p.m. EST on AXS TV). Both shows will start at 7 p.m., and the doors open at 5:45 p.m.
  
There will be pre-show and post-show Meet & Greet opportunities with different wrestlers both days. Names for the Meet & Greet guests will be announced in early-February.
 
Tickets for both New Orleans show will go on-sale at 10 a.m. CST on Saturday, December 9, at TNAwrestling.com.

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Marking the two-year anniversary of its inception, WWE’s NIL program proudly welcomes 14 stellar athletes, including luminaries such as Lucas Davison, a two-time All-American wrestler hailing from the University of Michigan, and former Big 12 Champion Stephen Buchanan from the University of Oklahoma. Notably, this cohort boasts diversity, featuring the first acrobatics athlete in Bayley Humphrey from Baylor University, the program’s pioneer baseball player Adam Berghorst representing Indiana State, and the groundbreaking male cheerleader, Slane Glover from Ohio State.

Spanning 14 different universities across ten NCAA conferences, the fourth “Next In Line” class comprises a dynamic roster of talent representing various sports, from track & field and football to gymnastics and wrestling. These athletes, each bringing their unique skill sets, dimensions, and hometown pride, epitomize the rich tapestry of collegiate sports in the United States.

This latest signing marks a cumulative 60 college athletes joining WWE’s ranks since the program’s launch in December 2021. Impressively, seven of these athletes have ascended to full-time developmental contracts, dedicating themselves to year-round training at the esteemed WWE Performance Center in Orlando.

More than just a recruitment drive, the “Next In Line” program epitomizes WWE’s holistic approach to nurturing future Superstars. Collaborating with athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds, the program aims not only to recruit but to cultivate talent. Notably, the roster includes athletes from 15 different sports, encompassing 42 members of Power-Five conferences. Their collective achievements amount to 18 NCAA Championships, 34 Conference Championships, and a staggering 55 All-American honors, a testament to their exceptional caliber.

The program goes beyond the wrestling ring, offering athletes access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando and an array of resources within the organization. From brand building and media training to live event promotion, creative writing, and community relations, the program equips these future stars with a comprehensive toolkit to thrive in the entertainment industry.

An exclusive opportunity beckons upon completion of the NIL program: the chance to secure a coveted WWE contract, a testament to the program’s transformative potential in catapulting budding talents into the limelight of professional wrestling.

These athletes’ magnetic presence extends beyond the mat and track, commanding a substantial social media following with over 12 million combined followers on TikTok and nearly five million on Instagram. WWE itself boasts one of the largest fan bases on TikTok, tallying more than 25 million followers, coupled with an impressive 30 million on Instagram, setting the stage for an electrifying synergy between these emerging stars and the WWE universe.

As WWE continues to scout, nurture, and empower the next generation of entertainment icons, the “Next In Line” program stands as a testament to their commitment to innovation and excellence in talent development, promising an exhilarating future where sports and entertainment converge in a spectacle of athleticism and showmanship.

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Tickets for Elimination Chamber: Perth will be available for general purchase at Ticketmaster.com.au from 10 a.m. AWST on Friday, November 10.

Fans across the globe also have the opportunity to join an exclusive early WWE presale from 10 a.m. AWST on Wednesday, November 8, by registering their interest at www.wwe.com/au2024-presale.

Additionally, Priority Pass ticket packages will soon be available from On Location, offering fans the chance to be ringside for every exhilarating moment including premium seating, pre-show hospitality with WWE Superstar appearances, ringside photo opportunities, exclusive merchandise and more. To learn more about Priority Passes, please visit www.onlocationexp.com/eliminationchamberperth. To learn more about travel package opportunities and place a deposit on a trip to Perth, please visit Sportsnet Holidays at www.sportsnetholidays.com/wwe-elimination-chamber-perth.

WWE Elimination Chamber: Perth will be broadcast live in approximately 165 countries in 25 languages and seen in more than 1 billion homes – including on BINGE, the exclusive streaming home of WWE in Australia.

For more information visit www.wwe.com or www.westernaustralia.com. 

WWE and Tourism Western Australia acknowledge the traditional custodians throughout Western Australia and their continuing connection to the land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to all Aboriginal peoples; Elders past, present and emerging.

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WWE Superstars such as Big E, Bianca Belair, Omos, Riddick Moss and Raquel Rodriguez, all of whom have transitioned from college athletics to a career in WWE, have visited 11 of the nation’s top schools since the program’s inception last October, including powerhouse athletic programs such as Ohio State, Duke, Oklahoma and Penn State.  WWE Superstars address student athletes at each tour stop and educate them about the global leader in sports entertainment. In conjunction with each university, student athletes will learn about WWE’s “Next In Line” (NIL) program and the path to becoming the next WWE Superstar.

Last week, “WWE Campus Rush” visited the University of Texas and will visit six additional universities from five conferences during the fall semester, including:

• University of Wisconsin – Wednesday, September 27
• University of Pittsburgh – Monday, October 2
• University of Washington – Wednesday, October 4
• University of Maryland – Tuesday, October 17
• University of Missouri – Monday, October 23
• Texas Christian University – Tuesday, November 14
• Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletic Forum – Wednesday, December 6

*Schedule subject to change

The fall tour will conclude in Las Vegas at Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletic Forum, the most preeminent conference on the business of college sports, on Wednesday, December 6.

Learn more about WWE’s “Next In Line” program and the path to WWE at wwerecruit.com. 

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To help celebrate the 1,000^th episode of Impact!, fans are invited to make a full day out of the milestone at the “IMPACT 1,000 Fan Celebration” on Saturday, September 9, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, N.Y., from 11am – 3pm.
 
The celebration will feature meet & greet opportunities for autographs and photo-ops, Q&A sessions and exclusive IMPACT Wrestling merchandise and collectibles.
 
Fans also will have the chance to have their photo taken with an official IMPACT Wrestling championship belt.
 
Admission to the “IMPACT 1,000 Fan Celebration” is free with a ticket to the Saturday, Sept. 9 show.
 
The full schedule of talent appearing at the IMPACT 1,000 Fan Celebration will be announced in the coming weeks, but, IMPACT Wrestling confirmed the following stars from the company’s past will appear at the IMPACT 1,000 Fan Celebration:

• The Beautiful People, Velvet Sky and Angelina Love
• Team 3D, Bully Ray and Brother Devon
• Awesome Kong
• ODB
• D’Lo Brown
• Tommy Dreamer

• Alex Shelley, the reigning IMPACT Wrestling World Champion;
• Deonna Purrazzo, three-time former Knockouts World Champion;
• Josh Alexander, the longest-reigning IMPACT World Champion in company history.
• Brian Myers, Eddie Edwards and Sami Callihan, among others.

 
Additional names of guests for the IMPACT Fan Celebration, both current and former IMPACT stars, will be announced in the coming weeks, along with the appearance times, fees, etc.
 
IMPACT Wrestling also confirmed a special Live Q&A session with Dave LaGreca, the host of Busted Open on SiriusXM, will wrap up the IMPACT Fan Celebration.
 
“We’re so excited to hit the 1,000-episode milestone and there’s no better way to say thank-you to our amazing fans than with the IMPACT 1,000 Fan Celebration with stars from the company’s past, present and future,” said IMPACT Wrestling President Scott D’Amore.
 
For more information about the IMPACT 1,000 Fan Celebration, go to impactwrestling.com.

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 Due to the overwhelming demand for tickets, IMPACT Wrestling today confirmed a second show will be held in Coventry, England: Sunday, October 29, also at HMV Empire.
 
IMPACT Wrestling’s UK Invasion Tour is shaping up to be one of the best in company history with four consecutive nights of high-energy, action-packed pro wrestling, including championship matches.
 
Tickets for the October 29 show in Coventry will go on-sale Wednesday, August 16, at 9am (UK time) at impactwrestling.com.
 
The UK Invasion Tour is:
 
Thursday, October 26 at O2 Academy in Glasgow, Scotland
5:30 pm: Doors Open
6:15 pm: Meet & Greet with IMPACT stars for Titanium Ticket Package holders
7 pm: Show Starts
 
Friday, October 27 at Walker Activity Dome in Newcastle, England
5:30 pm: Doors Open
6:15 pm: Meet & Greet with IMPACT stars for Titanium Ticket Package holders
7 pm: Show Starts
 
Saturday, October 28 at HMV Empire in Coventry, England
5:30 pm: Doors Open
6:15 pm: Meet & Greet with IMPACT stars for Titanium Ticket Package holders
7 pm: Show Starts
 
Sunday, October 29 at HMV Empire in Coventry, England
3:30 pm: Doors Open
4:15 pm: Meet & Greet with IMPACT stars for Titanium Ticket Package holders
5 pm: Show Starts
 
Limited tickets are still available for the first three shows (in Glasgow, Newcastle and Coventry on October 28) at impactwrestling.com.
 
The 2023 UK Invasion Tour will feature IMPACT Wrestling World Champion Alex Shelley plus Moose, Eddie Edwards, Deonna Purrazzo, Kazarian, Brian Myers and hometown hero Joe Hendry, among others.
 
IMPACT officials confirmed the tour also will feature the IMPACT return of Scottish wrestling hero and the star of hit TV shows Scot Squad and Two Doors Down – Grado. Plus, IMPACT Hall of Famer Gail Kim will make special appearances at the UK Invasion Tour.
 
The IMPACT Titanium Ticket Package, available for all four shows, are perk-filled, such as:

• Front-row seats
• First fans admitted into the arena
• Commemorative photo-ops
• Special Meet & Greets

The UK Invasion Tour follows the June announcement that IMPACT Wrestling’s flagship weekly show, IMPACT! Is available on Sky UK via DAZN’s linear TV channel, DAZN 1 HD.
 
IMPACT! is televised on Friday evenings at 23:00 BST on DAZN 1 HD, channel 429 (check weekly listings), as well as being available on the DAZN and IMPACT Plus streaming services and IMPACT Insiders YouTube Channel.
 
For more information on the UK Invasion Tour, go to: impactwrestling.com

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